Forever Mexican Crimson tide.

RED.

The flag of eternal visceral feelings: passion, courage, sexuality and love. Many of us ladies have worn - or secretly died to wear- red on our lips, because who on Earth can resist a pair ofluscious shiny kiss-my-pout lips? (FYI a biological fact: red lips are considered to be the sexiest everywhere because in the arousal stage of the human sexual response, the lips fill up with blood, causing it's hue to raise to a full red.)

The cosmetic and fashion industry have always

turned to red because of its strong appeal and eye-catching

-ability to human nature. 
But, have you ever wondered where the red pigment these industries use to dye lipsticks, eye-shadows, blushes and fabric comes from? Easy. From Mexico's nopal (prickly pear).

The one to blame for the hue that can even attract bulls is a little insect that nests on the nopal plant called "Cochineal". This little insect produces carminic acid that deters predation by other insects. Carminic acid, which occurs as 17%-24% of the weight of the dry insects, can be extracted from the insect's body and eggs and mixed with aluminum or calcium salts to make carmine dye (also known as cochineal). The carminic dye has been used since pre-hispanic times in Mexico and South America to color fabrics, and in Mexico's Colonial period, it became the second largest export to Spain. (Source: http://wikipedia.org here)

Cochineal became a prized commodity on the Continent

(Spain refused to trade it with the English), and it created huge profits for Spain. For this reason, the cultivation of cochineal was aggressively restricted to Spanish-controlled Mexico, although this changed when a French naturalist managed to smuggle cochineal-infested cactus pads to Haiti in 1777. From there, cochineal production eventually expanded to South America, India, Portugal, and the Canary Islands, where it became particularly successful. The long-time demand for cochineal started to decrease in the late 1800s as new synthetic dyes were developed, and soon it was no longer economically viable to continue its production. (Source: Cochineal, Interesting Fact of the day). However, insect dyes (such as the carmin dye from the cochineal) have always been used for cosmetic (shadows, blushes, lipsticks) and pharmaceutical (pills, syrups) dyeing because of its organic friendly-to-the-body nature.Nowadays, with the raise of eco-friendly fashion, organic dyes' production is increasing, directing the attention of everybody around the globe to the Cochineal Farms on Oaxaca, Mexico (like the Tlapanochestli Cochineal Farm) and to other insect-dye farms around the world. Reasons on why this organic dyes are better for the environment discussed here by Eco-friendly fashion designer Behnaz Sarafpour.

Crimson organic dye is still very popular, and the amount of Cochineal-dye exports that Mexico produces is a great sustainable method for small and indigenous families across one of its economically-challenged states: Oaxaca. But beware, buying Cochineal-dye is no cheap business: the reddish power can cost up to $1,000 the kilo (that explains the luxury of wearing such a powerful hue). 

So, whenever you feel witty, agressive and passional and plan on wearing red on your lips, pout them out for Mexico, its indigenous hard-working people and it's little nopal "cochinilas" (cochineal)./FLAII

Forever Mexican Crimson tide.

3 (SIMPLE) ADVISES FOR NOT BECOMING AN EPHEMERAL DESIGNER

The term “young emerging designer” is a curse that very few survive.

Last week an article about Zac Posen in the New York Times caught my attention; it talked about his meteoric rise to fame and his subsequent fall: Posen is not selling very well, the press stopped promoting his clothes and the investors no longer backup his business, so the plans for a brand expansion are put on hold indefinitely.

I admit that Posen is not exactly my favorite designer, I think of him as an overrated talent that could not carry his brand with a lot of sense, sometimes it was good, sometimes it was bad, sometimes very regular and almost never spectacular, after 8 years of this you are obviously left with a bad impression.

Zac Posen Primavera 2010.

This idea of him been overrated comes on how the press presented him back in 2002: a huge fashion talent with a very short carrier. He was one of the “designers to watch” pack that went straight from school to the runway (Proenza Schouler and Behnaz Sarafpour were part of this).

Proenza Schouler Primavera 2010.

But then I got to think, what Zac Posen did wrong? How come he is now so far from the beginning of his carrier? Did he loose his talent along the way?

Not precisely. It’s not as simple as talent-equals-success; you need to make careful choices for what you do with your craft.

Behnaz Sarafpour Primavera 2010.

I’m no fashion designer, I write about fashion, so I can only begin to understand what they go trough to make it in the business.

Analyzing his and other designers that had lost momentum as well, I noticed some choices that could have led them to be forgotten or (and much worse) cause the indifference of the industry.

I reduce it to these 3 advises that you can follow (or not) for avoiding becoming an ephemeral designer.

1. Relax. Do not succumb to pressure.

As a “young promise” you’ll get a lot of praising, exaggerated compliments will come in tons, adjectives like “The new Ralph Lauren” or “The salvation of Halston” would drop on your shoulders and will not let you sleep. This kind of pressure can cause designers to act nervous and unsure, so they will not be at the top of their game to show off their talent.

That was the case of Julien Macdonald, in 2001 the LVMH Group hired the designer to be the creative director of the house of Givenchy, replacing (after a very public dispute with the group) Alexander McQueen and winning over Alber Elbaz and Olivier Theyskens. When he started he was dubbed as “The Welch wizard” because of his very well executed garments, but for 2003 his clothes were described as “trying too hard”. Julien felt the weight of the house of Hubert de Givenchy (and their owners) and after only 3 years he left the company to star one of his own. He did not wanted to deal with the critics and bad reviews anymore.

Givenchy Primavera 2002.

The opposite of this story is Riccardo Tisci, who has prove to have a very thick skin, his biggest detractor is non other than Cathy Horyn the critic of the New York Times, who until recent seasons has been accepting his designs.

Is better to take the risk reinventing a house being loyal to your vision than fall under the pressure of the legacy, trying to please the owners to the extreme.

Givenchy Primavera 2010

2. Choose your home very well.

As newly graduate is almost impossible to say NO to the great offers of being in charge of a well-known brand that the big luxury groups (like LVMH, PPR or the Prada Group) make. But choose wisely because no matter your talent, as a designer you can have cero chemistry with the company.

Olivier Theyskens is one of the great talents that right now is unemployed. The designer can’t find a fashion house that fits him: his success with Rochas in 2003 disappeared when the brand was discontinued in 2006; his next opportunity with Nina Ricci was a failure (even though the critics loved the collections) when the shareholders did not renewed his contract. Theyskens is now busy with the publication of his book “The Other Side of The Picture” (published by Assouline), but is still looking for a place to work his fashion ideas. Is almost a crime to see all that talent being waste.

Rochas por Olivier Theyskens.

A good example of choosing correctly is Raf Simons. When Gianni Versace died he was offered to be his replacement but something happen and Donatella was left in charge.

Jil Sander Otoño 2009 por Raf Simons.

Simons today plays with the silhouette of a woman with exceptional craft in every collection he presents for Jil Sander, a true match made in heaven that has brought him critics and commercial success.

Talent can be abundant, but it needs someone that understands the value that it has so the designer will not be forsaken (or replace by Lindsay Lohan).

3. Do not underestimate experience.

Is quite normal to see young designers being thrown to the center stage with just one collection in their portfolio and cero experience on how to deal with the press or the administration of a business.

Zac Posen had the world on his feet for 4 seasons with investors and critics praising his collections, he got carried away by all of this and he began to create this extravagant persona in the style of John Galliano: a dramatic outfit, famous friendships and an attitude full with confidence that was easily mistaken for arrogance, the problem was that he has not Galliano’s long career in fashion and this behavior was making the stage persona more important than the clothes itself.

The Proenza Schouler boys (Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough) are the success case, their graduation collection was bought for Barneys New York and ever since they have been focus in the design of each product they develop to the max. The Proenza Schouler accessories line was launch last year with the same positive reviews and sales than the clothing line.

It doesn’t matter how good you are, if you are new in the business you need to learn all the tricks so you can use it in your favor.

A good friend of mine is studying fashion design in Paris, when we discussed the topic of this post, he asked me to talked about the not so successful designers with a lot of love, recognizing their talent.

And he is totally right, the new designers suffer that the press elevates them to the point of gods and then destroys them in the next seasons. The CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) choose every season a young design promise to promote using all of their resources.

The council can easily forget about this if the chosen talent doesn’t bring investors in a certain amount of time. Is like they only have a small moment to prove they are worth it.

Is not all the fault of the institutions when the designers also give in to the game. Is like survival of the fittest, there always will be someone to praise them, but not always to guide them.

3 (SIMPLE) ADVISES FOR NOT BECOMING AN EPHEMERAL DESIGNER

Iconic moments / Alexander McQueen ( R.I.P)

 "Me? I'm gentle as a teddy bear," he said with a laugh. "We all carry both the dark and the light with us, I don't see why it shouldn't be reflected in my work." 
 Alexander McQueen to Adam Tschorn, Times Staff Writer / April 06, 2008

Alexander McQueen, the son of a London cabbie who had established himself as the enfant terrible of the fashion world, sending live wolves down the runway, and basing an entire collection on the Salem witch trials, right down to a blood-red pentagram on the floor, now rests in peace.We are in deep Mourning. / Eva Guerra.

Iconic moments / Alexander McQueen ( R.I.P)

The Short Story of Lovely Luella

This is the story of Luella Bartley, a very talented young girl with an intense love for fashion that could have lead to the construction of an empire but instead ended up in a Christmas window display.

Born in England, Luella started her journey as fashion editor for the Canadian Evening Standard newspaper, British Vogue and Dazed & Confused. 

Not bad for a starter. 

The once student of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design then decided to switch places: In 1999 she launched an eponymous label that would rapidly taste the sweet nectar of fame. Her first collection, “Daddy, I Want a Pony”, presented clothes as playful as its title, which featured a girly-punk mix of Brit chic with a trashy spirit.

Just a year after this first show, Luella was named Young Designer of the Year in Elle Style Awards. From then on, Bartley presented her highly anticipated collections to enthusiastic critics during London Fashion Weeks and later, also in Milan. Anna Wintour, editor in chief of American Vogue, occupied the first row in her show just last year.

The intrepid designer described her creations as “the kind of clothes you can get drunk and fall over in”, and as me, millions of girls wanted to get drunk but try not to fall over those adorable dresses with quirky notes. Alexa Chung, Kate Moss, Chloë Sevigny, Pixie Geldof and Lily Allen: Everybody loved Luella.

And Luella loved everybody, even the until then comatose Mulberry. With her collaboration in 2002 she showed the world that the old English brand still had a young heart. Her bags turned into it items instantly. But she didn’t stop there. In 2006 the brand gave us girls with small wallets the opportunity to actually own a piece of Luella with her collaboration for Target.

She did good and good things happened. 

She met Club 21. The Singapore-based retail group owned by the millionaire businesswoman Christina Ong, fell in love with her and invested in a global licensing agreement. Things were going so well by then that in 2007 she opened her first store in Mayfair’s Brook Street.

But the best was yet to come. 

She started 2008 with “Friends of Luella”, a bag collection specially made for her Hong Kong lovers. By the end of the year the British Fashion Council named her the “Designer of the Year” and by January 2009 Elle Sweden acknowledged her as the “International Designer of the Year”. 

A promising young talent had now a catchy name and the face of Sissy Spacek.

Then came tragedy. Even though 2009 had a good start, at the end the results were surprisingly dreadful. The recession that hit the world turned hard on Luella: Carla Carini--her Italian manufacturer--ended operations and was not able to produce the label’s Spring/Summer Collection. VSQ, a division of Club 21 and Luella’s distributor, announced that they had decided to withdraw their backing. A logical move considering the wealth of Mrs. Ong had dropped from £100 million in 2008 to £69 million in 2009 and Luella’s Mayfair shop was costing her around £200,000 a year, leaving aside the rumors about her planned acquisition of Mulberry, which had been affected less violently by the crisis; something they could partially thank Luella for, paradoxically.

If her debut show asked “Daddy, Who Were The Clash?” Luella’s current question could adapt to “Daddy, Where’s The Cash?” 

In the middle of the global economic instability, like the majority of the battling young brands, Luella had to search for another godfather without much luck. The few offers that were made seemed unfavorable to her eyes so she turned them down, waiting for the one. 

Throughout the blogosphere, thousands of supporters joined the “Save Luella” movement via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and in their own blogs. Everybody hoped for a miracle.

But the miracle didn’t happen.

Astonished, fans, colleagues and critics saw the falling of London’s favorite new girl. 

Suzy Menkes, fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune, shared the pain: “It’s a sad anniversary for 25 years of London Fashion Week that Luella, who has developed such a lively and vibrant brand can’t stay afloat.” On November 10, 2009 it was official: The brand had ceased trading. One minute of silence for ten years of ephemeral success.

At her last venture, the designing of London’s Liberty Christmas decor, a resigned Luella confessed: “I have had an incredible team around me…it is upsetting not to be able to protect jobs in this difficult economic climate.” Then she added: “I hope that the Luella girl can have an exciting future ahead of her, whichever incarnation she takes on next.” We sincerely hope for your revival, dear Luella.

As for today, Luella Bartley lives in Cornwall with her partner, fashion photographer David Sims, and their three children.

And that was the story of Luella Bartley, which may have reminded you of that of Christian Lacroix, or the one of Yohji Yamamoto, or that of Phi; a collection of 2009 stories that left us wishing for the same ending: “To be continued…”/ Kari Estrada

The Short Story of Lovely Luella

Is there a future for fashion icons?

What exactly is a fashion icon? The term may seem too conceptual, and its overuse nowadays questions its real meaning. We can see this title given to fashion stylist Catherine Baba on our favorite fashion blog and at the same time we hear someone on the radio calling Belinda the next Mexican fashion icon.

But its meaning is more complex.

One of my favorite definitions comes from the “Think Different” ad campaign created in 1977 for Apple Computers.

As you see, the TV ad does not give an academic definition but its message fully transmits the core essence of the long lasting icon in a poetic yet powerful way.

When talking about fashion icons we refer to men and women endowed with a unique sense of style that distinguishes them from their contemporaries, leaving a mark that endures throughout time. Admired and followed, these trendsetters become symbols, and their looks and personalities become a legacy for their own and the next generations.

A generous number of names that fit into this profile come to my mind. Some of them also appear in the list of the Top fashion icons of the 2Oth century made last year by the Clothes Show London. Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Twiggy, David Bowie, Madonna, Kate Moss, all of these fashion icons have something in common. Yes. They are celebrities: actresses, models, first ladies and designers that had the attention of the media and so, the eyes of the whole world were turned into them. 

But today we are facing a totally new scenario. With the evolution of communication technologies and the Internet explosion everyone gets the chance to be seen. Now there’s no need to turn on the TV, buy a magazine or go to the cinemas, you just have to visit Fashion Toast, Stylebubble or Luxirare to get fashion inspiration instantly.

Thousands of bloggers are the ones creating fashion trends with their own personal style, becoming opinion leaders and getting the attention of the media. Collaborating in special projects for top designers, seating in front row at the most exclusive fashion shows and getting a place for their opinions in serious magazines, they are the fashion heroes of this generation.

But fashion bloggers are not alone. With the apparition of Jak & Jil, Facehunter, Garance Doré and The Sartorialist streetstyle boomed and everyday fashionistas, socialites and models were brought together with a new group: the until then unknown top magazine’s editorial team and their flawless sense of style. Kate Lanphear, Carine Roitfeld, Taylor Tomasi, Panos Yiapanis: the editorial crew of the most coveted publications are now the style leaders of millions of visitors that everyday seek for their new pictures to emulate their haircut, copy their poses or dream about their awesome accessories. 

Anna Dello Russo, Fashion Director of Vogue Nippon and streetstyle luminaire, acknowledges the power that lies behind each snapshot and so she treats this dynamic seriously. "Us lot were invisible; there was the model, the photographer and a whole team of people. When the camera turned to us it enabled us to start a new career…The whole streetstyle thing these days is like a job, it's all planned and thought up in advance." (Source Swide)

And we still have celebrities. Lady Gaga having fun with the wild fashion picks mastered by House of Gaga, which include Alexander McQueen, Gareth Pugh and Alex Noble; Lily Allen being invited by Karl Lagerfeld to perform at Chanel’s S/S 2O1O fashion show and now planning to do a career in fashion; Chloë Sevigny reinforcing her indie fashion godess status with numerous collaborations for Opening Ceremony; And Victoria Beckham designing her own collection with surprisingly good results tell us the link between fashion and entertainment is growing stronger.

It seems that today fashion figures arise from everywhere.

There’s no doubt: The fashion fans have switched the channel. Not the TV channel but the communication channel. The Internet today delivers us the figures that are changing the fashion scene right from their monitors to ours. 

.
The question is:

Are these the new fashion icons?

Can they stand out enough to endure in an environment where everyone can be a star? Or will their sudden fame fade into oblivion in a couple of years when the chic editors get fired or a super cool 12 year old appears from nowhere, leaving us with the same Grace Kellys and Audrey Hepburns our grandmothers turned for fashion tips?

Time will tell.  / Karee Estrada

Lilly Allen / Chanel /S 2O1O fashion show

Is there a future for fashion icons?

PRADA´S GOOD START

 It’s been years since Prada stopped being a fashion house that was pleased presenting two collections per year and thinking it had made a good job. Long gone are the times when I used to log in to prada.com looking for something new and found nothing but an image of the current campaign seen in magazines. There was no fashion, no interaction; nothing that could have satisfied me or any of the other fashionistas. Prada was a mystery, and still is today, but for totally different reasons. Before, the lack of personality beyond the clothes leaved you with the feeling of wanting to know more. Now, Prada expands its universe outside the runway, so you wonder what is going to be their next step.

With four collections per year (spring/summer, resort, pre-fall and autumn/winter) Miuccia Prada  has been surprising us constantly by introducing the outfits using artistic media, something that backs up her ideology of fashion that goes with every collection.

You stop seeing the garments just like well crafted and expensive outfits. It integrates them in different escenarios and people, in situations that move them out of their usual context, so that we can appreciate them in the same way the designer conceived them.

There is a reason for the shoes, the silhouette of the jackets and dresses, and the stage in which these are shown. What better way to understand what is on Miuccia’s mind than the media she chose to express it with?

FALL/WINTER 2010 MENSWEAR SHOW

Prada announced on its website that the 17^th of January there would be a live broadcast of the fashion show in Milan, the first one for the house. In the same runway, the women’s pre-fall collection will be presented as well, following the same line of design that the menswear.No need to travel. Prada brought its runway venue and attendees to anyone who had an internet connection  and liked the brand. With a stage full of colors, statistic charts decorating the floor and screens showing the best moments of the past years, the models filled the room walking everywhere showing off the new collection.

You did not have to wait until the next day to get press reviews and photos of the runway. You were there, creating an opiniong immediately. Maybe the main purpose for this event was to get rid of the middle people (the formal press) and deliver the message directly to its consumers.

"It's time to reinvent the banal", 

said the designer for ABC News.

This collection has the spirit of a young preppy boy. At first sight, a simple design: already visited a few times but enriched with the modern touch. This Prada boy appreciates the past, knowing that these are modern times.

Beige and pink sweaters with a cropped finish, double/neck wool and leather coats, and shoes that resemble those used in golf with a longer and more colorful tongue in front are some of the key elements in this season’s collection.

Another piece that calls for attention is a large coat with sixties-inspired prints and camouflage, a little bit retro and corny, but in a right measure.

“Mrs. Prada is famous (notorious, even) for moving from season to season without a backward glance at what’s come before”, wrote Tim Blanks on his review for style.com

THE FIRST SPRING FILM

The fashion show was not the only thing that Prada had prepared. Since a week ago, their CEO announced the colaboration with Yang Fudong, a young Chinese artist known for his black and white films, the Seven Chinese Intellectuals (an adaptation of the ancient Chinese stories The seven sages of the bamboo grave). At 39, Fudong was comisionated with the task of shooting the spring/summer 2010 collection and direct the film that goes with the campaign: First Spring.

Born in Shanghai, Yang Fudong used the city for his characters to meet in First Spring. Boys dressed with the brand fly through the sky with umbrellas (a new accessory added to the line) surrounded by an ambience that resembles the 1940’s, where traditions and modernity mix perfectly.

 The film is based on an ancient adage: the whole year’s work depends on a good start in spring.

It seems we will see some exciting features in Prada’s future. A company that increasingly makes an effort to give value to their fashion ideas by taking advantage of the current climate of technology, and using figures like Rem Koolhas (the main creator of their now famous transformer) and Yang Fudong.

Even though, Prada could fall into an awkward gap if it doesn’t succeed merging fashion with art; there is no guarantee that it will work just because they are exceptional alone.

 An exciting future for a good start./ Cheryl Santos

PRADA´S GOOD START